Believe me, it's in the court records and if the prospective landlord does a half-decent public records check, he'll find it. If your SSN was on the court documents, then the eviction will almost certainly make it onto your credit profile. While an eviction probably won't stay on your credit profile for more than seven years, it stays in the public record forever. So if a landlord pulls a credit profile only, it will be there only seven years. If s/he does a public records search too, it will show forever. As a landlord, I do both, plus a criminal background check.

Rather than wait to be caught, why don't you call the prospective LL and tell him the truth? It will always sound better coming from you than from a credit bureau. If he finds out through a credit /public records search, he may be unwilling to listen to any explanation you offer. Tell him how you've cleaned up your act. Be prepared to show him cancelled checks from the past two years that show you've paid your current landlord on time and in full. Prep your current landlord to give a good reference and to say that s/he knew about the previous eviction but that you've been a great tenant. If you play this correctly, you may even enhance your chances of getting the apartment! Good luck.